Florida didn’t hold a lead for the first 39-plus minutes of action. But when UF was presented with what may have been its final chance to take the lead, senior guard Will Richard delivered.
The Gamecocks took a one-point advantage with 17 seconds left in regulation on a free throw by junior guard Zachary Davis. However, just 12 seconds later, it was Richard who scored a driving layup that proved to be the game-sealing shot.
In a tightly contested road matchup, No. 5 Florida (17-2, 4-2 SEC) defeated South Carolina (10-9, 0-6 SEC) 70-69 at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia Wednesday.
It was more than just the clutch go-ahead layup that stood out from Richard. The senior guard scored a team-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and made three 3-pointers. Fellow senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. scored 16 points and dished out seven assists. He also broke UF’s record for consecutive games with a 3-pointer made (42).
For USC, it was Davis leading the way. He posted a team-high 22 points with five rebounds and four assists on 9-of-18 shooting from the field.
Florida was seemingly on upset watch in the early going with a 6-2 run from the Gamecocks that was capped off with a layup from sophomore forward Collin Murray-Boyles that gave South Carolina an 11-4 lead with 15:49 remaining in the first half.
Back-to-back dunks from junior guard Denzel Aberdeen and senior guard Alijah Martin on the fast break allowed the Gators to tie the game at 16-16 with 8:59 left in the first half before USC used a 13-4 run to push its lead to 10 with under five minutes remaining before halftime.
A layup and 3-pointer from Richard gave him five straight points in the final minutes of the first half, though South Carolina still held a firm 36-29 lead at the break.
In the second half, Florida flipped a switch. But it didn’t happen in the blink of an eye. A 2-point jumper by Davis extended South Carolina’s lead to 52-38 with 12:46 remaining in regulation, while Aberdeen answered with five straight points to cut the lead back to single digits.
Florida went on to muster a 7-0 run, with five points coming from Richard in that span, before the Gamecocks buried a 3-pointer to push their lead to 61-52 with 6:36 left in the game.
Down the stretch, the Gators got within two points of South Carolina twice, but each time South Carolina answered with a 3-pointer. However, Florida was able to knot the score at 68 apiece with 52 seconds left after a pair of free throws from Martin before Richard played some hero ball with his game-winning bucket.
It wasn’t the most efficient performance for Florida’s offense, but it was enough in the end. UF shot 28-of-66 from the field (42%) and 8-of-24 (33%) from 3-point range. However, the biggest takeaway was UF’s points off USC turnovers (22) and second chance points (18).
Defensively, it was a gritty effort for the Gators, who came up with timely stops when they needed them the most. Richard, Martin and sophomore forward Alex Condon all snagged three steals. Moreover, Florida forced South Carolina into 15 turnovers, which turned into 22 points, while holding USC to 9-of-26 (35%) from distance.
Next, Florida will return home to take on rival Georgia. Tip-off between the Gators and Bulldogs is slated for Saturday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center at 3:30 p.m.
Contact Max Tucker at mtucker@alligator.org. Follow him on X @Max_Tuckr1.
Max Tucker is a senior transfer student at UF. After obtaining his A.A. in Journalism from Santa Fe College in 2023, he chose to further his education at Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. Max is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Journalism with a specialization in sports and media. He enjoys golfing and going to the beach with his friends in his free time.
